White Papers What Does Tomorrows CTRM Look Like? | Page 5

Commodity  Management                                                                                                                                                                                                                    A  ComTech  Advisory  Whitepaper     enhancements  and  you  will  likely  pay  an  incremental  fee  for  the  delivery  of  custom  software.  You  might  also  need   to   pay   additional   fees   for   implementation,   data   conversion,   testing   and   training.   This   model   doesn’t   support   flexibility  and  agility.  Rather,  it  simply  perpetuates  the  status  quo  that  is  described  above.  New  subscription-­‐based   models,  however,  offer  both  the  means  and  the  incentive  for  vendors  to  be  more  flexible  and  more  agile  –  and   perhaps  even  more  customer-­‐focused  as  well.   The  delivery  of  true  flexibility  and  agility  in  a  CTRM  solution  requires:   o o o o o CTRM  software  that  is  built  with  the  right  tools  and  technologies  on  the  right  architecture,   a   user   interface   that   is   graphical,   intuitive   and   truly   capable   of   being   configured   by   end   users   without   the   need  for  programming  assistance,   The  ability  to  store  and  manage  multiple  types  of  data  and  to  be  able  to  easily  analyze  the  data  to  identify   and  extract  trends  and  useful  intelligence,   The  capability  to  be  deployed  rapidly  and  in  a  manner  that  allows  for  continuous  customer  feedback  on   which  the  vendor  is  able  to  act  rapidly,  delivering  enhancements  efficiently  and  without  the  need  for  long   testing  and  implementation  cycles,  and   That  the  commercial  terms  of  the  deal  be  designed  to  encourage  and  support  such  flexibility.   Generation  10  –  Building  Solutions   Generation   10   has   been   around   for   more   than   a   decade,   quietly   building   and   marketing   solutions   for   a   broad   range   of   clients,   initially   in   the   world   of   cotton.   The   interesting   thing   about   cotton   is   its   complexity.   If   you   can   handle   cotton   properly,   other   commodities   hold   no   real   surprises,   regardless   of   whether   they’re   bulk   or   containerized.  In  2009,  although  still  a  relatively  small  and  niche  company,  Generation  10  decided  to  completely   re-­‐engineer   its   software   and   invest   in   building   an   all-­‐new   product   set   from   the   ground   up.   Along   the   way,   Generation   10   used   its   track   record   and   experience   in   delivering   solutions   in   the   cotton   world   to   decide   on   architectures,   tools,   structure   as   well   as   functionality.   What   it   was   looking   for   was   the   ability   to   be   agile   and   flexible.   The  company  chose  a  web-­‐based  architecture  and  built  its  own  technology  platform  –  the  G10  Framework  –  to   serve   as   the   foundation   for   all   of   its   products,   including   its   new   CTRM   solution,   G10   Commodity   Manager.   Generation  10  also  developed  a  new  highly  visual,  graphical  user  interface  and  analytics  tool  called  d3  Analytics.   The   G10   Commodity   Manager   is   a   multi-­‐commodity   and   highly   configurable   CTRM   solution   known   for   the   strength   and   depth   of   its   logistics   functionality,   which   provides   users   with   a   host   of   supply   chain   optimization   business  benefits.  Users  can  streamline  planning  and  scheduling,  utilize  capacity  more  efficiently,  identify  the  best   vendors   to   work   with,   and   manage   suppliers   more   effectively,   all   while   achieving   high   standards   of   care   and   customer   service.   Users   are   simply   in   a   better   position   to   gain   competitive   advantage,   optimize   workflows,   establish   metrics,   set   benchmarks   and   identify   trends   by   analyzing   performance   over   the   long   term.   It   also   provides  comprehensive  trade  capture,  risk  management  and  accounting  functionality  for  a  variety  of  products.   The   d3   Analytics   solution   provides   interactive,   visual   tools   to   help   users   identify   trends,   increase   operational   transparency,  set  benchmarks  and  achieve  goals.  Users  can  locate,  understand  and  act  on  information  much  more   quickly  and  efficiently.  When  combined  with  its  library  of  web-­‐enabled  components  and  bespoke  applications,  the   G10   Framework   allows   Generation   10   to   provide   customers   with   the   exact   capabilities   they   need,   rapidly   and   seamlessly.     All   of   its   products   have   been   designed   to   be   highly   configurable   and   personalizable   by   the   users   without   programmer   intervention.   “People   in   the   ‘Facebook   generation’   demand   intuitive,   flexible   tools   to   help   them   perform  their  jobs  with  a  minimum  of  fuss  and  a  maximum  of  cool,”  says  Richard  Williamson,  CEO  of  Generation   10.   Its   software   makes   it   easy   to   add   new   fields,   grids,   data   collectors,   dashboards,   work   flows   and   so   on   without   any  programmer  involvement  at  all.   ©  Commodity  Technology  Advisory  LLC,  2014           5